Eshnunna
Eshnunna is a city of the old Mésopotamie, located in the low valley of the Diyala. It corresponds to the current site of Such Asmar , excavated in the years 1930 by the teams of Eastern Institute of Chicago.
It becomes independent in 2026 av. J. - C. under king Shu-iluya. Its successors increase the territory of the city, which controls trade route between the Élam, High Mésopotamie and Sumer. The city is taken by Hammourabi in 1756 av. J. - C..
Its principal god was Tishpak with the Period amorrite.
History
Eshnunna enters the history at the time of Ur III, in second half of the 21e century. It is then the capital of a province of the Empire of Ur III, where seat a governor ( ENSÍ ). With the collapse of this empire, Shu-iluya, whose origins are unknown (perhaps of Eshnunna was ENSÍ), founds an independent local dynasty and proclaims king ( šarrum ). With the image of the sovereigns of Ur III, it divinise, claiming itself " wire of Tishpak " , the guardian divinity of Eshnunna.
Its reign seems to be short, since about 2010, the king Ishbi-Wandered of Isin seizes the city, and places Nur-ahum as governor. This last does not delay with émanciper, and proclaims prince ( rubūm ) of Eshnunna, with the orders of the Tishpak god, according to the tradition mésopotamienne, which wants that the divinity is the true mistress of the kingdom, and that the king is only his servant. The authority of the sovereign of Eshnunna is still limited. In the Valley of Diyala, Nerebtum (current Ishchali), Tutub (perhaps Khafadje) and Shadlash (not identified) is other independent principalities, and an important tribe amorrite, with which king d' Eshnunna is combined, is installed in this area.
This situation seems perdurer during more than one century, although the history of this period is very badly known. About the middle of the XIXè century, Ipiq-Adad II goes up on the throne of Eshnunna. During a long reign, it will subject all the Valley of Diyala, and even more. The weather is initially vis-a-vis a sovereign north of Mésopotamie, Aminum, perhaps a family member of the king Samsi-Addu of Ekallatum, which had been established in this area, and had taken Shaduppum. After first difficult combat, Ipiq-Adad overrides its adversary. Its following countryside carries out it towards the east, where it opens the road towards the Iranian Plate. It runs up then against Élamites, which stops its projection. Ipiq-Adad benefitted nevertheless from its power to seize all the principalities the Valley Diyala, before extending towards north. It seizes Arrapha, then of Rapiqum on the Euphrate. With the ridge of its glory, it can proclaim " roi" ( šarrum ) of Eshnunna, giving up old titulature of " prince". With its death, the kingdom of Warum, organized around Eshnunna, is one of most powerful of the Middle East.
About 1810, Naram-Sin succeeds his/her father Ipiq-Adad II. It continues the military work of his father, in direction of the North-West. It conducts victorious campaigns by going up the Tigre, then pushes its projection until area of Khabur. Then it seizes the country of Suhu m, on the Euphrate Means, with depend on the king of Mari, Yakhdun-Lim, which must accept the suzerainty of king d' Eshnunna. To died of Naram-Sin, two short reigns are followed, before another son of Ipiq-Adad II, Dadusha, does not go up in his turn on the throne of Eshnunna. After a retreat on the level of the Euphrate Means vis-a-vis king Samsi-Addu d' Ekallatum, it counter-attacks victoriously. After that, the two adversaries sign peace, and become even allies, since Dadusha sends reinforcements to Samsi-Addu when this one is in war against Alep. Dadusha is also known to have made write a collection of laws, said Lois of Eshnunna .
His/her son Ibal-pi-El II succeeds to him about 1780. If there remains an ally of Samsi-Addu, with died of this last, about 1775, he attacks his son Ishme-Dagan. At the same time, Zimri-Lim seized Husband by driving out another son of Samsi-Addu. But the new sovereign mariote refused the alliance which proposed to him king d' Eshnunna, before tensions between these two kingdoms do not burst about the country of Suhum, located at the border separating these two territories. Also, when wandering tribes revolted against Zimri-Lim, Ibal-pi-El benefitted from it to attack its adversary. It launches an army on Euphrate in direction of Husband, then another on the Tiger, which takes Ekallatum then Shubat-Enlil. In spite of a fulgurating progression, it must withdraw and conclude peace with Mari. About 1765, the sovereign of Élam, Siwepalarhuhpak, attacked Eshnunna, with supports of Zimri-Lim and Hammurabi of Babylon. Ibal-pi-El was crushed, and Eshnunna and the other cities of the Valley of Diyala were taken and plundered. Become most powerful of the sovereigns of the Middle East, Siwepalarhuhpak did not want to stop in if good way. Based in Eshnunna, it launched offensives into High-Mésopotamie, while incorporating of Eshnunnéens in its armies. But Zimri-Lim and Hammurabi were turned over then against him, and crushed it, forcing it to withdraw themselves from Eshnunna and to return in Elam.
When Élamites were driven out of Eshnunna, a former officer second-rate of the army of this city, Silli-Sîn, was named king of this city under the pressure of the army. He accepted the alliance of Hammurabi after some hesitations, and married his daughter. But the king of Babylon wished to seize Eshnunna, and it started a conflict (in 1762-61), during which it overcame his adversary, and seized the kingdom of Warum.
Eshnunna was then incorporated in the large Babylonian kingdom of Hammurabi. It is known that in 1755, important raw devastated the city. About 1735, Eshnunna was released by Iluni, which succeeds in endangering the king of Babylon, Samsu-iluna, and attacked it to the country of Sumer. But it was finally overcome, and Eshnunna fell again vis-a-vis the Babylonians. Samsu-iluna restored the cities and fortresses of this country which had suffered much following the conflicts with repetition which had ensanglanté the country of Warûm. However, another revolt had place under the following Babylonian sovereign, Abih-eshuh, directed by certain Ahushina, which was overcome.
The continuation of the badly known history of Eshnunna. The large cities of the country of Warum are abandoned in the current of the 2nd millenium, and this area will not consequently have any more any political importance.
The site
Such Asmar is a vast site covering more than 100 hectares.
A first unit is in the north of the site, beside a thick rampart defending the city. The Northern Palate is a rather vast residence (66 X 30 m) which comprises important hydraulic installations. Just at side, a temple dedicated to the Abu god was released. It counts eleven states active of the Period of recent Uruk at the period of Akkad, which can be gathered in three principal phases: four levels of a " sanctuary archaïque" , organized around same concealed; four phases of a " temple carré" who is a construction organized around a central part surrounded by other more reduced rooms; three states of a " temple unique" , badly known.
An important residential district dating from the period of the antiquated Dynasties II and going until that of Akkad, was found in a remarkable state. It made it possible to look further into knowledge on the town planning of these periods. One perfectly identified the streets, lanes, and the houses, of variable size, but very of rectangular form and without stage (according to the diggers of the site), organized around a large interior court giving on two other smaller rooms.
In the southern prtie, other buildings were built between the time of Ur III and that of Isin-Larsa. A first unit gathers a temple dedicated to king Shu-Sîn d' Ur, and a big room of audience built by king Naram-Sin d' Eshnunna at the beginning of the 18th century. In the south of these buildings is another building dating from the period of Ur III, a palate built by the dynaste local Shu-iluya, organized around a large central court. Beside this one the throne room is, according to the model which is then that of the palates of the time amorrite. This palate remained unfinished.
Kings d' Eshnunna
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-2026 : Ilushu-ilia
- -1980 : Bilalama
- -1860 : Ibal-pi-El I {{er}}
- -1810: Naram-Sin
- -1780 : Dadusha
- -1770 : Ibal-pi-El II
- -1766: Silli-Sîn